Live: Jesse Malin at the Academy

Ryan Adam's protege (and fellow member of faux-punk band The Finger) Jesse Malin is to return to Dublin to play the Academy on US Independence Day, the 4th of July.

I saw Malin a few years ago at Witnness (I'm nearly sure it was the year before it became Oxegen) and he's a fantastic live performer. At that time he had only released his debut album, the excellent Fine Art of Self-Destruction, but since then he's worked with Bruce Springsteen, and has just released his new full-length Love It To Life with his backing band the Saint Marks Social.

Tickets for the Academy gig are €19 and are on sale now.

Watch 'Broken Radio' (ft. Bruce Spingsteen):

List: Best Albums of the Decade 110-101

I had planned a top 100 albums of the naughties/noughties/00s, but that got a little out of hand, so it's now a 110 albums list. The more the merrier though, right?

110. Gorillaz - Demon Days (2005)

With his second album as Gorillaz, Damon Albarn really stepped out of Blur's shadow. He showed that while Oasis might have won the battle of the 90s, the 00s definitely belonged to Albarn. Gorillaz' second album featured a whole host of guest stars, but none who worked better than Shaun Ryder on the fantastic 'DARE'. And who can forget the opening of 'Feel Good Inc'?

109. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand (2004)

Named after the man responsible for beginning World War I, this Scottish band brought the rock of the Strokes to the far side of the Atlantic. The songs themselves had marvellous videos, and the album contained an untold amount of treasures. There's even a hidden backwards message in 'Michael'. Go on, try it.

108. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow (2003)

While The Shins didn't actually change my life (or yours for that matter), their second album improved many. While many prefer the debut, Oh, Inverted World, with the stand-out 'New Slang', Chutes Too Narrow is definitely a more cohesive and consistent album. There's no stand-out songs, because they're all great.

107. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)

Proving that Parachutes wasn't just a fluke, Chris Martin and his band of merry men went back to the studio to make a more polished record, which was bigger and better in every way. It also moved them out of small venues and into arenas, marking them out as the decade's new U2.

106. N*E*R*D - In Search of... (2001)

Pharell Williams is not just a fantastic producer, he is a wonderful musician in his own right. Instead of having everything "featuring the Neptunes" or the like, the debut album from N*E*R*D was a brilliant fusion of pop, rock, hip-hop, and R&B. Their second may have had 'The Way She Moves', but this one had many more great singles: 'Lapdance', 'Provider' and 'Rockstar'. Just don't watch the NSFW 'Lapdance' video at work!

105. Damien Rice - 9 (2006)

It took Damien Rice a long time to record a follow-up to O, and many people thought that it may never happen. When it did, it was somewhat anticlimatic. It was not as good as his debut. But after you got over that initial reaction, and let the album settle, it revealed itself to be a gorgeous album. Lead single '9 Crimes' remains the best thing on the album, and showed the last glimpse of the beautiful Rice-Hannigan interplay.

104. Feeder - Echo Park (2001)

Pop-rock is frowned upon by a lot of my peers, and by a lot of critics. They dismiss it as having no content other than being friendly enough to play on the radio. While Feeder may have been more edgy, and thus more unknown, in their earlier records, what self-respectable artist wouldn't actually want to have a song like 'Buck Rogers' under their belts? The rest of the album was great too, aside from the singles, there was plenty here to savour. Just have a listen to 'tell All Your Friends' if you don't believe me.

103. Nickel Creek - This Side (2002)

All three Nickel Creek albums could definitely have made this list, but the title track on their second proper (adult) album guarantees its place. Produced by legendary bluegrass star Allison Krauss, and containing a magnificent cover of Pavement's 'Spit on a Stranger', This Side was a fantastic album combining instrumental tunes with the beautiful melodies of Chris Thile and the siblings Watkins.

102. Jesse Malin - The Fine Art of Self Destruction (2002)

When I heard Ryan Adams was producing an album for his protege (and fellow musician in the faux-punk band The Finger), my interest was captured. The album itself almost lived up to Adams' own early output, and showcased Malin's excellent gruff New York voice. There may not be a better song this decade than 'Wendy'.

101. The Silver Jews - Tanglewood Numbers (2005)

Sadly one of the greatest fatalities of the decade was the end of the Silver Jews. (None of the members died, by the way, David Berman just gave up making Silver Jews records.) Tanglewood Numbers was their fifth and penultimate album, and features some of Berman's best ever lyrics. 'Sometimes a Pony Gets Depressed' is just as good as the name suggests. Hilariously brilliant

The Countdown continues tomorrow...

Live: Jesse Malin at Whelan's

Jesse Malin's debut album was amazing. It was produced by Ryan Adams. So I had to buy it! Since then, his music has waned a little. But the same can't be said for his live performances, as he seems to be going from strength to strength.

He plays Dublin's Whelan's on December 13th, and tickets are on sale now at €20.

Watch 'Lucinda' live: